Underwear night very revealing

This past 4th of July weekend, my partner Brad and I decided to celebrate our independence by hitting some of the bars we'd never been to -- which is how we found ourselves standing in our underwear at 1 a.m. in a strange and unfamiliar place.

One of the bars we'd heard a lot about but never actually set foot in was the Eagle. The Eagle, for those not in the know, is a leather bar in Andersonville.

Part of the reason we had never been was that we aren't into the leather scene. We aren't opposed to it; we just haven't ever fully immersed ourselves in it. I am not so sure a harness would look good on me.

So, after hitting a few of the Boystown bars and getting sufficiently inebriated, we decided we'd do some something new and adventurous. Not knowing entirely what to expect, we headed up to the Eagle.

What we knew about the Eagle was this: It's basically for men who aren't into the A&F set. It also has a dress code for anyone trying to get into the back bar: You must wear a major article of leather, rubber or a uniform.

Owning none of the above, we thought we'd take our chances, and, at the very least, we still could hang out in the main bar. Sadly, my marching band uniform is at my parents' house in Pittsburgh. (I am not sure if that qualifies, unless there is such a thing as a drum major fetish.)

As we walked into the Eagle, we were greeted with some good news and some bad news. The good news: The dress code was lifted for the night. The bad news: It was underwear night, which means we had to strip down to our underwear if we wanted to join the crowd.

Brad and I exchanged a glance, and he said, "I need a drink or three first." Not me: I wanted something different, and I got it. So I checked my clothes with the attendants and joined the nearly nude crowd.

This is what I love about the gay community: If you have a specific fetish, there is a place (be it a bar, event, club, etc.) that supports you.

This was reinforced when, a week later, Brad, our friend Kristopher and I stumbled into a rubber fetish event at Cell Block. This event featured men of all shapes and sizes in skin-tight rubber outfits. One guy was "mummified" in black Saran Wrap. Not sure why, but it was definitely an interesting thing to observe.

Here is what I learned at underwear night and the rubber fetish event.

* Standing around in next to nothing with a group of strangers in a dark bar is a liberating experience.

* The right shoes are important. Luckily, I happened to be wearing a pair of Adidas that matched exactly the color of my briefs (turquoise). Not to be a slave to fashion, but one guy was wearing tasseled penny loafers, and it looked silly with his tighty-whities. At the rubber event, a guy was wearing a head-to-toe rubber body suit and red Air Jordan high-tops. Not a good look.

* Everyone at both events was extremely friendly. It wasn't exclusive or cliquish in any way. In fact, I found that the men at both places were a lot friendlier while standing around in their Calvin Kleins or rubber jock straps than most people are at any "generic" bar. It's also not as intimidating or crazy as you might think.

If you are the least bit curious about exploring a fetish niche, there are plenty of specialty events you can attend.

While I won't be stocking up on Saran Wrap or buying rubber pants any time soon, I might pick up some new designer briefs for the next time underwear night rolls around.